A number of different authors, including Katz et al. in Clin. Pharmacol. Ther. 6, 25 (1965); Bhargava et al. in Europ. J. of Pharmacol. 22, 191-195 (1973); Leonard et al. in Clin. Pharmacol. and Ther. 14 (1), 62-66 (1973); Lee et al. in Arch. Int. Pharmacodyn. 19, 370-377 (1971); and Somogyi et al. in J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 21, 122 (1969) have reported or confirmed that non-steroidal antiphlogistics produce an undersirable side-effect in that they cause gastrointestinal bleeding and lead to ulcerations of varying degrees, which often requires the discontinuance of a very necessary therapeutic treatment.
Non-steroidal antiphlogistics which are clinically used for symptomatic antiphlogistic therapy are primarily indomethacin, phenylbutazone and azapropazone. Rheumatologists are familiar with the problem of the gastro-intestinal incompatability of these symptomatic antiphlogistics, which often leads to discontinuance of or a change in the prescribed therapy. Depending upon experience, the spectrum of patients and the particular compound which is primarily used, the above described incompatabilities are encountered in 25-37% of all cases.
For want of acceptable alternatives, antacids, succus liquiritiae-preparations or carbenoxolone are, now as before, still used as a means of avoiding these side-effects.
While it is possible to achieve initial success with antacids and succus liquiritiae-preparations, their use over extended periods of time, even after a few weeks, does not provide a reliable protective effect for the mucous membrane of the gastro-intestinal tract.
The above-described undesirable side-effects can be favorably influenced with carbenoxolone, but definitive results are obtained only after long-term use. However, in 20% of the cases the long-term use of carbenoxolone produces undesirable side-effects of different types (43% edema, 36% hypokalemia, 6% hypertension); in patients above 60 years of age, these side-effects even occur in 75% of all cases.
The importance of a meaningful prophylaxis of gastrointestinal side-effects after administration of non-steroidal antiphlogistics becomes particularly significant in the case of those diseases which require life-long antiphlogistic therapy, such as Bechterew's disease and primary chronic polyarthritis. An investigation of this aspect at one of the largest rheumatism centers in the Federal Republic of Germany has shown that over a period of one year about 450 changes in therapeutic treatment per 100 patients afflicted with Bechterew's disease or primary chronic polyarthritis had to be made because of severe gastrointestinal side-effects resulting from long-term treatment with non-steroidal antiphlogistics.